When the world’s greatest detective writers come together with the world’s greatest detective artists, the result is one of the most incredible collections of Batman one-shots ever conceived. It’s time to reflect and celebrate the Dark Knight.

A Celebration of 80 Years in Detective Comics #1000

Riddle me this: what do you get when you cross comics’ most prolific writers with the industry’s most sought after and talented artists? Answer: a comic book that’s stylistically and artistically beyond all measure of critique. The pages of Detective Comics #1000 are a collective tribute to the incredible milestone achieved by DC, put on full display through the words and images of their most talented creators. A beautiful myriad of one-shots designed to bring readers together in celebration of the World’s Greatest Detective: who else but Batman.

Writing

Detective Comics #1000 (DC Comics) main cover by Jim Lee

There is very little that I can say when it comes to critiquing Detective Comics #1000. The writing credits serve as a proverbial “who’s who” of Batman titans including Scott Snyder, Paul Dini, and Geoff Johns. I knew before turning a page that it was going to be good. What I did not expect, however, was that the most well-written story in the bunch didn’t come from Brian Michael Bendis, nor did it flow from the pen of Warren Ellis. The best story in the entire collection, bar-none, is written by Kevin Smith. It’s a heart-warming tale of Bruce Wayne (disguised as Matches Malone) hunting down the gun used to murder his parents. It’s clever, unique, and unquestionably the most memorable, showing the oft-neglected “human” side of Batman. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s Jim Lee helping to bring his words to life.

Even more exciting is being shown a small glimpse of what’s to come: The Arkham Knight. Fans of the popular video game who’ve been clamoring for an appearance are finally getting their wishes. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds and exactly how AK will be incorporated into Batman’s mythos. Call me crazy, but I’m predicting that this could be how famed Batman rogue Hush is brought into the fray.

Now of all the heavy-hitters you would expect to see in a collection such as this, one glaring omission is Grant Morrison. I can’t believe that I’m the one saying this, admittedly I’ve never been much of a Morrison fan, but it does seem strange that he would be absent from such a milestone—especially when you consider all that he’s contributed to the Batman canon over the years. As much as I often loathe his non-linear approach, his impact is undeniable and deserving of mention.

I love Batman but being a fan of the Dark Knight can be daunting. With so many simultaneous titles constantly intersecting and overlapping, it can be difficult at times to keep continuity straight. It’s refreshing to be able to take a break from all that, to just be able to enjoy a good Batman caper without needing any of the pretexts or backstory. As remarkable an achievement as it is to reach one thousand issues, I’m viewing this as a type of “reset”. A fresh beginning to usher in the next thousand issues over the following eighty years to come.

Art

Jim Lee, Tony S. Daniel, Greg Capullo, Neal Adams; should I continue? You get the gist. The Bat-Gods have descended from on high to grace us with their presence in Detective Comics #1000. All we should be saying is “thank you.”

Conclusion

Who is Batman? He’s a detective, a warrior, father, and son. He’s a hero, a dark knight; an agent of justice and an instrument of vengeance. He is all of these things and more. He means something different and is something different to each and every one of us. That’s what I took away from Detective Comics #1000. It’s a privilege seeing the most influential artists and writers telling their versions of what a Batman story should be; as a fan, it’s really all you could ever ask for. So cheers to DC, cheers to Batman, and cheers to us, the forever citizens of Gotham City.